Cubs
.
The
arrival of 264’s first pair of cubs was a big event in Yellowstone. They
were
active and curious. Countless park visitors were able to see 264 and her
cubs doing all the things bears do. In June of 1997, one tourist got an unexpectedly close
view when he approached a cub and stroked it on the butt. 264 saw this and
charged the man. Fortunately for both parties, 264 stopped abruptly in
front of him, made some threatening gestures, and took her cub away. The
petrified man was able to continue his vacation, hopefully a little wiser
from the experience.
.
I
have been
told that grizzly bears less than eight years old have poor luck keeping cubs alive amid the many dangers they face. Unfortunately, this
proved to be the case with 264’s first two pairs of cubs. None of them
lived to see their first birthday. At least two of the four
died as a result of attacks by male grizzlies. The others died of causes
unknown. They were simply there one day and gone the next.
.
Thankfully
264 was older, wiser, and bigger when her third pair of cubs arrived. They
were often visible along the roadway, and for two successive summers park
visitors were treated to the sight of the three bears. Then, as is
common, 264 and her cubs separated during their third year together. The surviving offspring are not as visible as their famous
mother, but they still roam her territory in Yellowstone.
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